This invention relates to ball throwing machines, and more particularly to a ball-gripping wheel for such machines.
Ball throwing machines have been provided heretofore in a wide variety of structural forms. One of such forms employs one or a pair of rotary wheels by which a ball is projected. Typical of this form of ball throwing machine are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,026,261; 4,080,950; 4,193,591; and 4,760,835.
The prior art ball throwing machines of the type disclosed in the above identified patents utilize rotary wheels which include a pneumatic tire mounted on a wheel which is supported on a rotary shaft driven at high speed by an electric motor.
Rotary wheels of the pneumatic tire type are characterized by a number of disadvantages and limitations. Principal among these are the requirement to maintain proper inflation pressure in order to insure consistent ball-gripping action, the frequency of wheel balancing to prevent wheel wobble and consequent irratic ball throwing, and the excessive cost of such wheels and their maintenance.